One man\’s year-long journey through the world of baseball

Shortstop Carlos Triunfel will debut today when the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Low Class-A Midwest League take on the Peoria Chiefs at 7:35 Eastern Time. Tune into Mariner Minors and Rattler Radio after the game for reactions. Triunfel was one of the latest of last year’s top international guys to sign, eventually landing with the Seattle Mariners for a $1.3 million bonus. Triunfel and Mets catching prospect Francisco Pena are the only two of last year’s wave of big-money Latin American talent who will start the year in full-season ball.

I expected to see Angel Villalona on the Augusta Greenjackets’ roster to start the season, but it appears the Giants are being more conservative with their top Dominican signing, who was more highly regarded than Triunfel as an amateur.

The Mariners are well known for rushing their prospects faster than any other organization in baseball, so it’s no surprise that their top-dollar signing will get his first professional at-bats in full season ball.

If you’re a fan of baseball players from weird countries you’ve never been to and where you didn’t even know they played baseball, the Timber Rattlers are the team for you. In addition to Triunfel, the team will feature Greg Halman (Netherlands), Kalian Sams (Netherlands), Alex Liddi (Italy), Kuo Hui Lo (Taiwan), and Jair Fernandez (Columbia) to go along with 6 Dominicans and 1 Venezuelan.

As noted here and here, Wisconsin figures to be one of the most interesting teams in the minors this year, no matter where its players are from.

About

I’m currently working on a year-long research project on the globalization of baseball, courtesy of the Thomas J. Watson Foundation. Over the next 12 months, my project will take me to the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Australia, Puerto Rico, Okinawa, and Venezuela, and I decided to set up this blog to share some of the things I pick up along the way.